The Cabin

by Alice Ward

  I walked Tara out to the front porch. We stood there for a few seconds, neither of us knowing what to say. Something happened at the museum, something big. I knew what it meant to me, but I had no idea what Tara was thinking. I wanted to ask her. I wanted to find out how she felt, but I didn’t know where to start. What should I say? What questions would I even ask?

  “Thank you for coming,” I said awkwardly. “I really appreciate it.”

  “Of course,” Tara said, smiling. “I wouldn’t have missed it. I had fun.”

  “Yeah,” I said. Tara looked up at me. Her green eyes stared deeply into mine, and my heart raced. My breathing became more and more ragged as we stood there looking at each other.

  I took a step forward without realizing it. My body took over for me. Before I knew what was happening, I leaned down and pressed my lips lightly against Tara’s. She inhaled sharply but didn’t pull away. After a few seconds, I felt her body melt into mine. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back.

  When she pulled away, it was just for a second. She took a quick step backward and blinked. She looked down like she couldn’t believe what just happened. Then, she threw her arms back around me and kissed me again. My hands found her hips, and I pulled her against me. I deepened the kiss, letting my tongue slide inside her mouth. She moaned softly against my lips.

  That sound was enough to drive me insane. I moved toward the front door, dragging her with me. I pushed open the door, and we hurried inside, still locked in an embrace. I closed the door softly, trying not to wake Paisley. Tara’s hands moved wildly over my body.

  “Come on,” I breathed, pulling away from her slightly.

  Tara nodded and took my hand. I led her through the living room and into the back hallway. We tiptoed past Paisley’s room and disappeared into mine.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Tara

  When the door of Sean’s bedroom swung closed, he wasted no time. He pulled me against him and held me tightly. His lips worked furiously against mine. I melted. While he kissed me, I let my hands roam all over his body. I grasped frantically at his back, running my nails down across his shirt. When I reached his waist line, I tucked my fingers beneath the hem of his shirt and quickly pulled it over his head.

  Sean’s kisses never slowed. I raked my fingers down his chest and his stomach, finally feeling the outline of his ab muscles. I groaned deeply. Sean growled and lifted me off my feet. I wrapped my legs around his waist, my fingers tangling in his hair.

  He carried me to the bed and laid me back gently. He paused just long enough to look into my eyes. It was dark in his bedroom, but his blue eyes shined brightly. I lost myself in them. I pulled him back to me, kissing him with a passion I’d never felt before. My legs were still wrapped around his waist and I could feel him growing harder by the second. I wanted to feel more of him.

  Reaching down, I unbuttoned his jeans and tugged at them. Sean got the hint and sat up quickly. He shook his jeans off and threw them to the floor. I stared at him above me. He wore nothing but boxers now. I’d never seen anyone so sexy in my entire life. I raked my hands down his chest again, wanting to savor the moment for as long as possible.

  “Your turn,” he whispered roughly. I grinned and let him pull me up.

  On my knees, Sean lifted my blouse over my head. He let it fall and slid his hands around my back. He brushed my bare skin lightly as he unhooked my bra. I let it slide off my breasts and onto the bed. Sean’s eyes were hungry as he watched me.

  He grabbed me roughly and pushed me over backward. His lips found mine again, and he kissed me with such ferocity that I was soon breathless. When he finally broke away, I gasped for air. He licked his way down my neck, making me shiver with pleasure. When he reached my breasts, I was wiggling with desire. His tongue flicked over my nipple, and I bit my lip to keep from moaning. Everything he did lit my body on fire.

  I reached down to push my shorts off my legs. Sean helped me, but his mouth never left my breasts. While he teased me, his hand gripped my leg tightly. He slid his hand up my naked thigh, stopping when he met my panties. I silently begged him to keep going.

  Sean moved his face back to mine. He used one hand to brush my curls off my face before he kissed me. His other hand traced a line down my chest and my stomach. He slid his hand inside my panties, his fingers lightly tickling my clit. At his touch, I came alive. My hips rocked uncontrollably, and I grabbed his face with my hands.

  I kissed him hard while he worked furiously between my legs. It felt so good I wanted to scream. I pulled away from his lips and threw my head back, biting my lip hard.

  “God, you look so good when you do that,” Sean groaned, burying his face in my neck and moving his fingers even faster.

  “I’m trying not to scream,” I said weakly.

  “I would give anything to hear you scream,” he whispered in my ear. I moaned at his words and pushed him down onto his back. I straddled him and flipped my hair to the side. He grabbed my hips as I lowered myself down to kiss him. I kissed him again and again, finally working my way down his body. I reached his boxers and slid them off slowly. He trembled with desire when I looked back at him. I grinned and lowered my mouth to his erection.

  My tongue trailed along the length of him before I took him in my mouth. He moaned and wrapped his fingers in my hair.

  “Oh my god,” he groaned softly. I worked on him slowly, just wanting to tease him. His legs shook beneath me, and I held onto his thighs tightly.

  When he couldn’t take it anymore, he grabbed me roughly and threw me back down on the bed. I exhaled sharply while he tore my panties from my body.

  “I want you,” he growled, attacking my breasts with his mouth once again.

  I breathed heavily and wrapped one leg around his waist. I could feel how hard he was as he pressed himself between my legs.

  “You can have me,” I whispered.

  Sean growled again and positioned himself above me. His blue eyes locked with mine, and he slid inside me. My back arched as he moved deeper. He filled me up quickly, watching my face the entire time.

  When he started moving, it was slow and patient. He leaned forward so I could run my hands along his chest while he thrusted. Every cell in my body was alive with desire. I had never wanted anyone more than I wanted Sean.

  Our bodies moved together slowly, taking our time to really enjoy each other. The longer we went, the faster we moved until I couldn’t take it anymore.

  I lifted myself up and gently directed Sean onto his back. I positioned myself on top of him and rode him hard. I arched my back and threw my head back while I moved. Sean held onto my hips with a vicelike grip and moaned. He was so loud that I quickly put my finger in his mouth to quiet him.

  He sucked on my finger as I came down harder and harder on top of him. His body tensed up, and I knew he was close. I could feel my own orgasm coming. I moved even faster, riding him harder than ever. When I finished, an electric shock went through my entire body, and I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. All I wanted was to scream out a cry of pleasure.

  Sean wasn’t far behind me. His legs shook roughly, and I fell against him. My hair covered his face, but he didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly to his chest. We both breathed heavily, holding onto each other for dear life. I never wanted the moment to end.

  But it did.

  We sat up slowly, still catching our breath. I laid back against Sean’s pillows and put my arms over my face. My body felt sweaty and weak, but I knew I had to move. I couldn’t fall asleep. Not there.

  When I could move, I pushed myself to my feet and started collecting my clothes. Sean was still lying on the bed with his eyes closed. He heard me moving and sat up quickly.

  “Where are you going?” he asked, worry in his voice.

  “I should leave,” I said. “I can’t stay here.”

  “Why not?” Sean asked. “It’s okay. Just stay the night. It’s late.”

  �
��I know,” I said. I shook my head. “But Paisley shouldn’t find me here in the morning. How would you explain that to her?”

  Sean thought about the question for a second, clearly trying to work out a way for me to stay without it causing any problems. I knew he couldn’t and so did he. His face fell and he sighed.

  “You’re right,” he said. “I just wish you weren’t.”

  “I know,” I said again.

  “I wish you could stay,” he whispered. I looked at his face and saw that he was being genuine. He meant what he said. The look in his eyes made my stomach tie itself into a knot. I had to get out of there. Fast.

  “Me too,” I said back, but I wasn’t sure I meant it. In that moment, I was no longer sure of anything.

  I got dressed quickly, desperate to be alone.

  “Be careful,” Sean said. “Drive safe.”

  “I will,” I smiled. I glanced back at him as I let myself out of the bedroom. I pulled the door closed softly behind me. When I passed Paisley’s room, I paused to listen. I hoped we hadn’t woken her up. I couldn’t hear anything except her soft, steady breathing. I breathed a sigh of relief and hurried toward the living room. I didn’t stop until I reached the front door.

  On the porch, I let the cool night air shake me back to reality. It felt like I emerged from a dream, from a life that wasn’t my own. I could not believe what I had just done.

  I hurried toward my car and climbed inside. I turned the ignition and let the air conditioning blow against my face. My cheeks were still red, and I could feel sweat drying on my back. It wasn’t like me to run out after sex. I wasn’t the kind of person to sleep around, and I knew, even then, that Sean wasn’t either.

  What happened between us meant something. I didn’t know what, but I knew I’d made a huge mistake. My Saturdays were supposed to be simple. Wake up early. Have breakfast alone. Watch some T.V. Maybe hang out with Niki. Nothing crazy. Nothing exciting. Sean completely blew my plans apart with his invitation, but I still never imagined we would end up in bed together.

  I thought we would spend the day with Paisley, talking and getting to know each other. We would have fun. We would enjoy ourselves. But, we definitely would not have sex.

  I was wrong. I had never been more wrong.

  I didn’t want to regret my night with Sean. As I sat in my car in his driveway, a huge part of me was begging to go back inside. All I wanted was to curl up against Sean’s chest and drift off to sleep. I could still feel his arms around me, his lips on mine.

  My body shivered, and I banged my hands on my steering wheel in anger. What had I done? What had I let myself do? What on earth was I thinking?!

  I leaned my head back against my seat and tried not to think. It was no use. I could still feel the after effects of my orgasm. There was no denying Sean and I were amazing together. I’d never had a night like that before. With anyone.

  Still, I regretted it. I hated myself for feeling that way, but I did. My job was my entire life. I spent years working toward my career, and now, I wasn’t sure I would even have a career after this.

  Sean was the backbone of our rebranding scheme. He was the face of Yates’ Motorcycles. Without him, we had nothing. It was too late to change things. It was too late to hire someone new. Sean was it. He was the only option. And after what happened between us, I had no idea what to do.

  I imagined Ray and Zach finding out about us, and my heart stopped. I felt a fear unlike any other work its way into my mind. Even if they didn’t find out, I thought, Sean and I still couldn’t be together. Not really. What would happen if we were?

  Would we date behind everyone’s back? Would we keep it a secret? And if so, for how long? Plus, what would happen if we broke up? Surely, Sean wouldn’t stay on at the company and if he did, I would be the one who would have to leave.

  The thought made my stomach hurt. Tears threatened to pour from my eyes. I put my car in reverse and pulled out of the driveway as fast I could. I sped all the way to my house.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Sean

  Breakfast on Monday morning was a happy occasion. When I woke up, I went to check the mail to find my first check from Yates’ Motorcycles waiting for me. I tore it open quickly and gaped at the high dollar amount. I had been expecting the money, but now that it was real, I felt like I was dreaming. I’d never had so much money in my entire life.

  “Good morning!” I said as Paisley came into the kitchen. “You hungry?”

  “Sure.” Paisley shrugged. “What are you making?”

  “Anything you want,” I said with a smile. “Today is a celebration.”

  “It is?” Paisley asked.

  “It is,” I said with conviction.

  “Can we have waffles?” Paisley asked. Her voice was hesitant, and she looked at her feet while she spoke. I smiled at her embarrassment and walked over to her.

  I put my hand under her chin and lifted her head. She blinked up at me as if she were afraid she might be in trouble. I smiled kindly.

  “Waffles,” I said. “Sounds great. That is a fantastic idea! I can’t remember the last time I had waffles.”

  Paisley smiled weakly and bounced over to her seat at the kitchen table. I went to work making the waffles, humming to myself as I did. I poured the batter into the waffle iron, and my mind drifted once again to that check. I couldn’t wait to cash it. My mind spun with everything I wanted to spend it on.

  First thing, I wanted to take Paisley shopping. She would need new clothes for the next school year, and I was sure she would want a few new bathing suits. I might even be able to talk her into buying some decorations for her room.

  “So,” I said, running with the idea. “What do you think about making your room more your own?”

  “What do you mean?” Paisley asked.

  “Well,” I said. “We could buy you a new comforter and pillow cases. Maybe a bookshelf? And a lamp or some curtains? It could be whatever you want.”

  “Okay.” Paisley nodded. “Sure.”

  I grinned and continued making breakfast. I finished up the waffles and fried a few pieces of bacon. Rummaging in the fridge, I found some fruit that I cut up and put in a bowl. I was flying high when I finally put the food out on the table. I put a plate and a fork in front of Paisley. She grabbed two waffles and drenched them in syrup before I was able to sit down.

  I laughed and watched as she shoveled the waffles into her mouth. I was happy to see her appetite had returned in full force. She no longer turned her nose up at food. It was slow progress, but she seemed to be settling into her new life pretty well.

  “What am I going to do today?” Paisley asked after she finished her waffles.

  “Well,” I said. I cleared my throat. “I thought maybe you could come to work with me.”

  “With you?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” I shrugged. “It won’t be very fun, but it might be kind of cool to see the place. There’s a showroom with a ton of motorcycles and—”

  “Can I ride one?” Paisley asked quickly.

  “Not a chance,” I said with a chuckle. “But you can probably sit on a few.”

  “Cool,” Paisley said.

  “It could be fun,” I said. “Why don’t you go get dressed and we’ll go, okay?”

  “Okay,” Paisley said.

  She jumped up from the table and ran into her room. I heard her door slam shut. There were muffled noises as she got dressed quickly. I hadn’t expected her to be excited about going to work with me, but it was the best I could do. She didn’t have camp anymore and I didn’t exactly have anyone lined up to babysit. Short of leaving her alone, this was my only option.

  Plus, Tara suggested it.

  I wasn’t sure if her offer was serious, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Paisley was the most important part of my life. She was the reason I agreed to work for my father in the first place. It only felt right for her to see the place. I also hated the idea of leaving her. She’d
only been back in my life for a few weeks, but already, I felt a strong connection to her.

  While she was at camp, I missed her. When she spent the evenings locked away in her room, I missed her. Despite her sassy attitude and her lack of conversation skills, I still preferred to be around her. I thought it was the best way to convince her I was sticking around. She had to learn to trust me, to believe that I was really going to be her dad. Forever.

  I cleaned the kitchen quickly while Paisley got ready. She came out into the living room and pulled her shoes on her feet just as I loaded the last plate into the dishwasher.

  “You ready?” I asked as I walked over to her.

  “Yeah,” she said. She stood up and frowned.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Should I bring anything?” she asked. “A book or something?”

  “If you want to.” I nodded. “It might be pretty boring up there. You’ll want something to do.”

  “Okay,” she said. She hurried back to her room and returned with a sketchbook in her hand. She tucked a pencil in her pocket and walked toward the front door. She didn’t notice me watching her until she was already on the front porch.

  “I’m coming,” I said, shaking myself. She looked at me slightly confused, but she just shrugged and made her way over to the car.

  I followed her, smiling to myself. I didn’t know a lot about Paisley yet, but I was learning more and more. She hadn’t taken her sketch book out of her room since she moved in with me. It meant something that she was finally comfortable enough to bring it out.

  ***

  When we pulled into the parking lot at Yates’ Motorcycles, Paisley gasped loudly. I looked over to see her staring wide-eyed at the building in front of us. I followed her gaze and smiled. If you weren’t used it, the building did look spectacular. The bottom floor was almost entirely made up of windows. You could see all the bikes lined up inside.

  Paisley’s eyes trailed up the side of the building. She tilted her head against the window, looking all the way to the top floor.

  “You really work here?” Paisley asked breathlessly. “It’s so big. And pretty.”