Then I turn my attention back to the figurine in my hand. If I really have to paint the thing, I want to impress Caitlyn.
Chapter 10
Caitlyn
Holy shit that did not just happen! I splash cold water on my face in the bathroom and lean on the counter staring at the woman looking back at me from the mirror. She definitely looks a lot more wanton than me. Her hair is kinda messed up, her skin is flushed and her eyes seem a darker shade of blue than looks familiar.
The woman in the mirror is the sort of woman who lets a tattooed stranger skip straight to third base in a public place.
I can't believe the woman in the mirror is really me.
A knock on the bathroom door startles me and I'm relieved to hear Ronni's voice through the door, "You OK? Can I come in?"
I unlock the door and let Ronni slip through before locking us both in and returning to the mirror to comb my hair and touch up my lipstick. I've practically chewed it off in the last 15 minutes.
"So?" Veronica jumps up on the counter by the sink, "What do you think of Josh? He's hot, right?"
Hot? Yes. Husband material? Hardly.
"Yeah, I guess," I agree hesitantly.
"You guess?"
I look up from my makeup project and catch the look on Ronni's face, she seems displeased with my answer.
"Yeah, Ronni, he's hot," I begin, "but I'm trying to find a husband, not a weekend fling."
I watch her roll her eyes. In this moment she is very much playing the role of friend and not at all concerned with the fact that I'm her direct supervisor the rest of the week. Our roles are reversed and I'm glad for it. I have no expertise in this area and I need someone to hold my hand.
"Cait," Veronica slides off the counter and leans against it, crossing her arms over her chest, "it's OK to have a hot hubby and Joshua is right for you. I know he looks rough around the edges, but you gotta trust me on this-- I've been chatting with him for a month-- this guy is serious about settling down and he's totally right for you."
Ronni narrows her eyes at me and cocks her head to one side, her mouth curving into a grin, "Even your grandparents like this guy, Cait, and I promise you he wasn't hiding that ink when they talked to him."
Really? Ronni thinks my grandparents saw this man with an arm full of dragons and naked women and decided that's who they wanted to father their great grandchildren?
Then I remembered Gramma's little over-share while I was waiting for Ronni to pick me up, "Yeah, well I also just found out that my grandmother has slept with more men than I have, Ronni. I'm not so sure my grandmother is the most qualified person to make pick out a husband for me anymore."
Ronni laughs, "Trust me, your grandmother knows exactly how to pick out a husband! Look at your grandparents, how long have they been married? Like, 50 years? And they obviously still love each other," she takes my comb from me and starts fussing with my curls, "If I was going to let someone else pick a husband for me, I can't think of anyone I'd trust more than your grandparents, and they barely even know me!"
I take my comb from her and slip it back into my purse, "I guess," I agree hesitantly as I give my make up one last check.
"You know," Veronica stops me from heading toward the door and looks me in the eye, "that's the whole reason why the first meeting is chaperoned and there's no booze, Raven wants to make sure her clients have a chance to meet eye to eye and make the final call.
"Cait, it doesn't matter how perfect the two of you would be together if there's no chemistry when you're standing right next to him, right?"
I understand what Ronni's getting at. I feel the heat rising, coloring my cheeks again and I wonder if there's a limit to how much a person can blush in one day.
"Chemistry's not a problem," I whisper shyly under her stare.
A mischievous grin spreads across her lips and Ronni hits my shoulder with a light fist, "Good, cuz it's obviously not a problem on his end either."
"You think?" I didn't have much doubt but then I've always had a hard time reading a man's true intentions toward me. Somehow, hearing Ronni confirm it warms me up and makes me feel giddy with excitement.
She gives me a knowing wink, "That man would throw you over his shoulder and carry you off right now if I let him..." she lowers her voice as we leave the bathroom and head back to the table, "let me know if you want me to let him, ok?"
I gasp at her implication and shove her into the wall with my shoulder, "Oh my gosh, Ronni! I can't believe you!"
"This isn't the seventeen hundreds, Caitlyn, you guys are adults. Adults who are planning on getting married. My part is officially done, I made sure you two met up without getting drunk, the rest is on you."
We hesitate at the end of the hall and I look over to see Josh engrossed in painting the dragon he picked out.
Yeah, he's sexy as all fuck, sitting there like he doesn't even notice how out of place he is in here, head down while he concentrates on adding touches of glaze over the black base layer on the figurine.
One long leg is stretched out under the table, the other bent at the knee with the heel of his boot hooked over the cross bar of the chair he's sitting in.
I realize he's left-handed, the muscles of the arm that sports all those tattoos making small, precise movements as he works the paint brush over the wings of the ceramic dragon while his hair hangs loosely to one side so I can I can't see his face from where I'm standing.
My body is instantly on alert, immediately primed in anticipation of being touched by him again and I consider Ronni's offer to back off if I want to be alone with Josh.
I realize that I'd really like to be alone with Josh.
In this moment, I also see the father of my future children. I see a man who's not worried about being too cool to sit in a cutesy little coffee shop doing arts and crafts surrounded by kids and old ladies.
I can picture him drinking make believe tea from miniature cups with a feather boa wrapped around his neck and I can picture him throwing a baseball across the back yard just as easily as I can imagine what those hands would do to me if they got ahold of me in a private place without the nuisance of clothing between us.
I swallow the lump in my throat as I slide back into my chair next to him.
"Missed you," he leans over and whispers thickly, so close to my ear that his hot breath tickles my neck and sends a shiver all the way down my spine as I feel the faintest hint of his lips brush against me.
I know in this moment that I'm going to go through with this. I'm putting a lot of trust in Ronni and my grandparents but that's why I picked them for the job.
They're telling me that Joshua is the one and I want to believe them.
I let my left hand reach out under the table and rest on Josh's thigh as I put finishing touches on my wolf plate. His muscles tense under my fingers.
This man is going to be my husband.
He sets his dragon down on the table, giving me an expectant look like he wants me to approve. His hand falls onto mine and his fingers wrap around me, "Better than all black?" His lips are full of mischief and promise in the smile behind the beard.
I shrug as I look at the black dragon in front of me and give him a confused sort of look, "I don't know, it still looks black to me."
"Looks can be deceiving," he says in a low voice intended just for me.
Somehow I don't think he means the dragon.
Chapter 11
Joshua
I almost had her talked into going back to my room and I'm pretty sure if I'd gotten her back to my room, I could have talked her into anything.
As it is, I've had to wait an entire fucking week to see her again. This time, she's headed up to my place for the weekend. The whole goddamn weekend. And she ain't staying in a hotel.
I swear my dick's been hard ever since she agreed to stay with me.
The place is spotless, which isn't saying much. I'm not a slob but I also live kinda sparse. I didn't buy new stuff when I moved in here and th
e rental place is a lot smaller than this house so my old furniture doesn't fill it up.
My mood darkens at the thought of the rental. Nicole's long gone, rent and all. The damage she left behind went beyond cleaning and the contractor's invoice showed up in today's mail. I'd have done the work myself but I can't go back in the house without getting pissed.
Last I heard the charges were going to be dropped. The local chief of police and I go way back and there wasn't a damn shred of evidence against me. Nikki's gone MIA so they can't get ahold of her for her statement. They got nothing to go on.
Shit, I hadn't touched her in over 6 months and I sure as hell never touched her in anger. Just the idea that she'd accuse me of that makes me burn. I can't believe I ever thought I could fix the mess her life was. I can't believe I ever believed she wanted that mess fixed.
Nicole is ancient history now. I don't know where she took off too and I don't care. I'm pretty pissed that getting that bitch out of my life is costing me 12 grand but if it means being able to forget I ever knew her? I'm getting off cheap.
I can't thank Maureen enough for stepping in and getting in touch with that matchmaker for me. Ever since I met Caitlyn, the world is all motherfucking rainbows and unicorns and shit.
Cait and I have been on the phone every goddamned minute of every day since I kissed her goodbye last week.
Something tells me I'm going to remember that kiss forever. The way she followed me out to my car while her friend made herself scarce to give us some space. Caity all standing in front of me, looking up at me with those big blue eyes like she was scared she was never going to see me again.
Shit, I should have just pushed her into the car and stolen her right then and there. I'd have already had her in my bed for a week and I know once I got her there I wouldn't have to hold her hostage to keep her there.
Not the way her body trembled against me when I pulled her into my arms. Not the way her lips parted to make room for me to fuck her mouth with my tongue while I snuck my finger into her wet little cunt.
I can't help the groan that comes out of my throat as I replay that moment. I've been jacking off to the memory all week. How fucking wet Caitlyn was for me and how she didn't fight me when I pushed my hand all the way under her dress and pulled her panties to the side so I could get my fingers into her folds.
I might have bent her over the hood of the Mustang and taken her right then and there if we hadn't been interrupted by an entire fucking Girl Scout troop swarming the parking lot.
I don't know if we're going to get around to half the stuff I have planned for the weekend, I got a feeling that once I feel her pussy clenching around my cock, I'm not going to want to let her out of my bed.
I made sure there's food in the fridge cause we're gonna have to eat at some point, and even though Maureen met her already in their interviews the old broad still wants me to bring Cait down to the bar. Mar's been giving me shit all week for acting "love sick" and she won't let up no matter how many times I tell her it's just hard to concentrate on mixing drinks with a hard-on.
Maureen's right though, I'm gone for Caity. As much as I want to get my hands on those tits and my dick in her mouth, I also want to get my ring on her finger and my seed in her womb. Not just for the fun part either, although I know knocking Caitlyn up is going to be a hell of a lot of fun, I want to watch her stomach swell and grow with my child. I want to feel my baby kick inside her and I want to fill the whole damn house with the sounds of babies crying and sisters and brothers fighting.
Maybe it makes me a pussy but I don't give a fuck. I want all that shit and I want it with Cait. Maureen can give me all the grief she wants, but I know she's fucking thrilled to see me happy and she knows she can trust Caitlyn not to fuck me over like the last woman I trusted.
Yeah, I'll probably take Cait out to the bar to see Maury, but that's not where I plan on proposing. I'm gonna make it official while she's out here this weekend. I've been putting a lot of thought into how I'm gonna do it. All I gotta do is manage to stay cool and not blurt it out while I'm coming inside her.
Chapter 12
Caitlyn
I have to admit that I am absolutely giddy with anticipation. I've been useless at work all week and I'm glad to have Ronni as my manager because for one thing, she's damn good at her job and for another, she knows what's up so she's been extra patient with me.
She'd definitely getting that raise.
I came so close to going to Joshua's room with him after our date last week. I came so close to bringing him home with me. I came so close to coming right there in the parking lot with his hand up my skirt. If those girl scouts hadn't shown up I'm not sure what would have happened.
Josh's place is a drive from me. About 12 hours altogether. I could have flown but he lives in a rural area that doesn't have an airport. It would end up taking almost as long and a lot more money to get here any way other than just driving.
It turns out, I didn't mind the trip at all. I broke it up over two days and I'm pulling up to the only traffic light in town while it's still early in the afternoon.
We've been on the phone all week, doing so much more talking than we did on our date. I know Josh better now but that's only increased the tension. That, and the daily texts he sends me. Every one of them so intimate that I can feel his breath on my skin when I read them.
I know this weekend is more than just our next date. I'm going to stay at Josh's house and I know I'll give in if he tries anything.
I know he's going to try something.
His text messages over the last week have spelled out exactly what he intends to try and exactly how much resistance he'll tolerate.
I don't plan on putting up much resistance.
I do plan on finding out if our attraction is more than just lust at first sight. We need to talk seriously about the reality of what we're planning. Who will be moving and when and weddings and whether kids come sooner or later. All those things that usually get discussed in small doses as a couple bonds over time.
Right now? Right now I don't even have my hand on the doorbell before the door swings open and Josh pulls me into his arms. His mouth is hot on mine as his lips push mine apart so that his tongue can sweep into my mouth.
There's nothing to keep us from giving in to the raw attraction we feel for each other now that we're in the privacy of Josh's house.
Make that semi-privacy, because he hasn't bothered to shut the front door yet. I'm pinned against the wall just inside the doorway and he's already got my t-shirt over my head, his mouth is working its way down my throat and over my breasts while his hands roam over every part of me at once.
He expertly unhooks my bra with one hand and pulls my nipple into his mouth while his other hand works at my jeans. When my bra hits the floor beside us, he has both hands available to peel my jeans over my hips and down my legs until he has me backed up against the wall in nothing but my panties.
I'm surprised at myself-- my eyes heavily lidded, my breath ragged, and my pussy dripping over his hand as he works two fingers under the material to slide between my folds. His mouth finds mine again and his other hand is roughly kneading my breasts, pinching my nipples between rough fingers and making me moan into his mouth.
And the whole time, the front door standing wide open.
Josh's house is set back off the street and there's a tree that blocks the front door from the full sight of the street. Still, we're far from invisible.
Just when I think that he's going to fuck me right up against the wall where his neighbors can watch, his foot kicks the door closed with a hard slam. Then his hands are on my ass, hoisting me up against him so I have to wrap my legs around his waist for balance while he carries me down the hallway.
I managed to get his shirt off too but he still has his jeans on. I can feel the roughness of the fabric against me, the zipper is uncomfortable against my sensitive skin, but the hardness of his manhood is unmistakable beneath the coarse fabric a
nd it leaves little to the imagination as I feel its length pressing against me on our way to Josh's bedroom.
"Do you need anything?" Josh's words are rushed and throaty as he drops me onto a king size bed and stars pulling off his boots, "I know it's a long drive."
His words give me the option of stretching my legs, exploring his home, freshening up a bit, but his body doesn't. He's already crawling onto the bed, covering me with his body and pushing me back into the thick duvet as his mouth covers my naked skin again.
Before I pulled into his driveway I thought I'd like the full tour, I expected awkward small talk while I waited to find out if he was going to make pretense of giving me my own room. Now all I want is Josh to keep all the dirty promises from his text messages all week. I want this man to take me right now, fill me with his cock, and ease the ache between my legs that he stirred up last weekend when he was stroking my pussy in the parking lot.
I need him to make me come because none of my efforts at self release have been satisfying since he touched me.
So I try to tell him that all I want is for him to stop teasing me already but his tongue is in my mouth again while he rocks his body against me.
The feel of his hard cock pressing into my cleft sends stars dancing behind my eyelids. I need him to get those jeans off. I need everything that's preventing him from being inside me to be gone.
I don't even stop to think how out of character this is of me as I force my hands between us so I can unfasten his fly and free his cock.
"I guess you do need something," he chuckles between searing kisses down my body. He thwarts my efforts by pushing roughly against my sex for a moment before letting me push the jeans down his hips and then helping me free him of them completely.
I know I'm blushing but he's right, I need to feel him naked against me and five minutes ago is too late.
My hand reaches between us, running over the tattoos that continue over his shoulder and spill onto his chest, brushing lightly over his nipple that's drawn tight, and down the deeply engraved abdominal muscles that lead me toward the steel rod pressing into my thigh.
A Nice Boy: Arranged Marriage Romance Page 4