Winning Cait

by Zoe Mullins

  She had meant what she said. She should have trusted Jack. Should have trusted that he would catch her if she fell, even if she had never allowed him back into her bed. That’s what she realized tonight for the first time. She hadn’t had to lose him.

  He kept petting her and rubbing her back, even though her tears had stopped. His hand warm and large, and best of all, soothing.

  She felt as if a valve had been opened, the pressure relieved. She felt more like herself than she had in months. “Thank you, Jack,” she whispered and his hand stilled.

  His lips pressed to her temple. “I’ll go run you a bath.” She shifted on the bed, allowing him to leave her. She listened to the pipes rattle as the bath filled. He returned a few moments later, leaning against the door.

  “Come on, Caitie.” He smiled. “Your bubbles await.”

  Her backside was already supersensitive as she dragged it off the bed and into the bathroom. She hesitated only a moment, when she would have grabbed a robe, but thought better of it. Jack hadn’t handed her a robe, and seemed to enjoy the look of her body, if the flare of interest in his eyes was anything to go by.

  She stepped around the bucket on the bathroom floor. She would not think of the new roof she needed now.

  The tub was full of bubbles, and while the tub was old and short, it was quite deep. Cait smiled as she sank beneath the bubbles. Jackson laughed and handed her a glass of wine, taking a sip from his own. He leaned against the sink cabinet.

  “I’m sending my foreman over tomorrow to evaluate what needs to be done to the house.”

  “Jackson,” she started, wanting to argue. But she thought better of it. He needed to figure this out on his own. She looked up at him expectantly

  “He’ll go through the house and tell you what has to be done, what can be fixed, what can wait.” He looked up at the ceiling. “And what can’t.”

  “Thank you,” she said. It’s what she would have eventually done anyway.

  He put aside his glass, and picked up his shirt, which he’d left on the doorknob. He began putting it back on.

  “You’re not staying?” she asked.

  He shook his head, tucking the shirt into his pants. “Not tonight.”

  “I’m sorry.” She couldn’t hide her disappointment and she turned away so he wouldn’t see.

  “Cait.” He knelt by the bathtub. “I don’t want to go, but you need a good night’s sleep. You need to think about this, about what’s happening between us. Believe me when I say it’s not easy to leave.”

  “Then stay. I want you to.”

  He stroked her hair, tucking it behind her ear. “You pleased me very much tonight.” His hand slipped down her cheek, cupping her chin as he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “And I look forward to us doing it right this time, even if that means I have to curb my own enthusiasm.”

  “Seriously?” She could not have been more shocked.

  “Seriously,” he confirmed as he laid a dollop of bubbles on her nose, making her shake her head and giggle.

  “Enjoy your bubbles, sweetheart.” He turned at the bathroom door. “And be nice to Benjamin when he comes to the house tomorrow. He’ll meet you here after work.”

  She continued to look at him quizzically. He was really leaving? After she pretty much guaranteed him a sure thing. That was unexpected. Her lips curved into a smile. She was beginning to look forward to doing it right this time.

  Chapter Five

  For the first time since she had opened the studio, the noon-hour power-flow class was packed. Cait was sure it was the cool weather that had brought everyone in, but she was still excited. She had sold two new three-month memberships this morning to out-of-towners who were here for the summer. With the vacationers just arriving, she hoped to sell quite a few more.

  “So what has you grinning?” Sophie asked. A quick shower after class had her looking fresh and ready to take on the world of small-business banking. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a low bun and she wore a casual floral dress.

  “Business is doing well,” Cait announced. “And as my banker, you should be pleased.” She smiled at her friend.

  “As your banker,” Sophie responded as she opened up a protein bar, “I am. But as your friend, I have to say I never doubted it.”

  “Well I did.” Cait laughed.

  Sophie shook her head. “We worked for months on this business plan. You timed the opening well. This was a good investment.” She gestured to the building. “Plus, you are doing something you love. You have no idea how happy I am to see you do this.”

  “And what about you?” Cait asked. “Is banking really what you want to do? After everything you have been through?”

  “I am happy for now.” Sophie shrugged.

  They had discussed this often. The bank had excellent sick benefits, and they’d been good to Sophie when she was off for radiation treatment. They hadn’t rushed her back, or pushed for her to take on too much too soon.

  “Okay.” Cait grinned. “But the next dream we are working on is yours.”

  “Caitie.” Sophie groaned. “It’s not the same. Let me vicariously enjoy your success for a while.”

  “Well, we better keep being a success. There are some house repairs that I can’t afford to do, but can’t afford to wait on either.”

  “What’s going on?”

  Cait sighed. “Jackson saw the leaky roof. He’s sending Ben to give the house a goodgoing over and write up a quote.”

  “Ben is good. He’ll give you a straight answer.” Sophie’s eyes narrowed. “So when did Jack see the leaky roof?”

  Cait bit her lip but it quickly became a grin. “Last night.”

  “I knew after you went to dinner, you wouldn’t be able to hold out.”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she scolded. “It’s not like that. I don’t know that I’m ready for anything like that yet.”

  “But he saw your leaky roof?”

  “He came over to apologize for how badly lunch went the other day,” she began to explain. “And then we ended up rehashing a few things.”

  “Did you ask him about Logan?”

  “If Logan was cheating on me?” Cait sighed. “How can I ask him that? I told him I knew I wasn’t Logan’s ideal sub.” Sophie made a choking sound, but Cait continued. “Yeah, Jackson didn’t think that likely either. Maybe you were right.”

  Sophie moved around the counter and gripped Cait by the shoulders. “Caitlin, look at me.” Sophie used her business voice, the one that scared bankers, investors and submissives. “Logan should never have brought his CAD technician to the club, but he wasn’t playing with her. He never played with anyone but you.”

  “I may finally believe you,” Cait said.

  “You believeme?” Sophie dropped her hands. “Well that was too easy.”

  They laughed together. “Logan was just distant those last few months. He was always at work, or going straight to bed when he was home. I know the partnership was playing on his mind. Hell, he barely gave me one order during that time, either in or out of the bedroom. It was a logical leap.”

  “It was a large freakin’ leap.” Sophie shook her head. “He may not have always known how to show it, but he always loved you.”

  Cait frowned. “Thank you.”

  Sophie nodded and picked up her bag. As much as she wanted to stay, she had to head back to work. “Now you need to tell me later about what else is going on between you and Jackson. And once you have the quote for the work, come see me and we’ll plan it out.”

  Cait gave her a quick hug before she left and promised to give her a full accounting of what was going on with Jacksonlater that night.

  * * * * *

  Jackson was good to his word, and shortly after Cait arrived home, a Steele Construction pickup truck pulled into her driveway. Benjamin, Jackson’s construction manager, looked as if he was used to working outside and with his hands. He was strongly muscled and deeply tanned. His dark hair and eyes matc
hed his Mediterranean complexion. He was neither short nor tall, and he wore dark jeans and a black cotton shirt that said Steele. He carried a metal clipboard with him and a Tim Horton’s coffee.

  “Mrs. Mackenzie?” he asked as she stepped out onto the porch. He tucked the clipboard under his arm and held out his hand, taking hers when offered, and squeezing it firmly. “Jackson sent me over.” He let her handgo, giving her a smile that could melt chocolate.

  “Yes, thank you for coming.” She smiled. “Did Jack tell you what I needed?”

  “He said I should go over the whole place and make note of anything that needed repair or upgrading. That way we’ll be able to give you some estimates and you can decide what needs to be done first.”

  Cait hesitated and he must have noticed because he quickly added, “Or at all.”

  “I appreciate that.” She nodded, embarrassed. “Where do you want to start?”

  “I’ll walk around the outside first, then come in. It will take a while. I’m going to get my ladder and check the eaves and the roof. You may hear me moving that around out here.” He looked back to the ladder strapped to the roof of his truck. “I will go over my notes with you when I am done and you can point out anything I may have missed or that you have particular concerns about. How about that?”

  “Sure thing. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me,” she said, going back inside and leaving him to explore on his own.

  She closed the door then leaned back against it, cursing under her breath. Weren’t construction foremen supposed to be bald, paunchy and smell of stale cigarettes? That’s what they had looked like when she had worked at Steele. They weren’t supposed to look likeunderwear models, that much she knew. And yet all she could do was picture Benjamin in his underwear. One evening with Jack had her libido wound tighter than it had been in years.

  She gave a little scream of surprise when her cell phone began ringing to the tone of Brantley Gilbert’s If You Want a Bad Boy. Caller ID said Jackson. She couldn’t believe he had programmed in not only his number but a personalized ringtone before he left last night.

  “You changed my ringtone, Jack.”

  “Only the tone for when I call,” he explained casually. “Is Ben there yet?”

  “Yes, he arrived a few minutes ago.” She huffed.

  “Why do you soundannoyed?”

  “I’m not annoyed, just tired.”

  “You had multiple orgasms.” He laughed. “I went home with a hard-on. I’m the one who tossed and turned all night.”

  “I claim no liability. You could have stayed.”

  “Uh, huh.” He didn’t sound convinced. “Benjamin is very capable. Be nice.”

  “God. That’s the second time you’ve told me to be nice. Aren’t I nice?” She could hear him sigh on the other end of the phone.

  “You are very nice, you know that.” He paused. “Unless you’re being defensive.”

  She said nothing.

  “What were you thinking about when I called?”

  “None of your business.” She hesitated before saying, with the same tone one may say shithead, “Jack.”

  In response, he lowered his voice to his most forceful Dom tone. “Cait. That’s what I’m talking about.”

  She chose silence again as her response. He was right. She was being defensive, but she couldn’t pinpoint why.

  “What were you thinking?”

  She breathed a sound that was halfway between a growl and a sigh. She lowered her voice so it was breathy with need. That would teach him. “I was thinking he was too damn sexy to be a construction worker and thought him better suited as an underwear model.” She wanted to stick out her tongue at the phone.

  He actually guffawed at that. “And that pissed you off?”

  “No, you leaving me last night did that?”

  Jackson chuckled again. A deep throaty sound. “What are you wearing right now?”

  “Jeans and a T-shirt. Why?”

  “I want you to undo your jeans and slip your hand down the front of your panties.”

  Cait moved the phone from her ear to hold it in front of her. She glared at it, and willed Jack to feel the weight of her stare. She brought it back to her ear. “I am not doing that now.”

  “I wantyour hand inside your pantiesnow, baby girl.”

  “What if he finishes outside?” she asked, even as she complied with Jackson’s orders.

  “Is your hand in your panties yet?”

  “Yes.”

  “When you slid your hand inside your panties, were you wet?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you hot?”

  As if he doesn’t know, she thought. “Damn it, Jackson! Yes, okay?”

  “What do you want to do about that?”

  “Fuck you, Jackson,” she gritted out. It was not an invitation. She heard his laughter again. She could picture him on the other end of the phone. Knew the sparkle of amusement she’d see in his eyes.

  “Dip your fingers into that wetness.”

  His voice was like velvet. It sent shivers down her spine, but still she hesitated. Could he tell she hadn’t obeyed? Would he punish her for hesitating?

  “Slide your fingers into your pussy. Get them nice and wet for me,” he repeated.

  She mewled as her fingersslid inside her vagina. It was tight and wet and she wished they were Jackson’s fingers.

  “They’re wet.”

  “Good girl. If I were there, I’d lick your fingers clean.”

  The image that created made her sigh.

  “You should taste them for me. Tell me how you taste.”

  She didn’t hesitate to slide her fingers over her tongue. “Sweet. They tastesweet.”

  “And they’re going to get sweeter,” he promised her. “I think you need to come before my foreman finds you stroking your pussy. Get those fingers back down to your clit and put them to work, baby.”

  She was more than happy to follow his instructions. She thought of nothing but coming for Jackson.

  “I like thinking of your fingers rubbing that little barbell,” he told her. “It makes my cock so stiff when I think of spreading you wide and seeing the crystal jewels winking up at me.”

  She slid her fingers back inside her pussy, thinking of Jackson pinning her thighs open. Of him staring down at her piercing before he licked her, or fucked her. She left her thumb against the barbell, wriggling it back and forth, ’til she felt a familiar tingle.

  “I would add a couple more piercings down there, babe.” His voice was gruff. “I like thinking about my hand sliding down there and playing with the barbell, and maybe a ring on either side. I would make you wear a skirt out to dinner and slide my hand up your thigh so I could play with your sweet pussy.”

  She purred into the phone.

  “I would love to watch you quietly fly apart as we kept up polite conversation with our friends. You like to be my naughty girl, don’t you, Caitie?”

  “Fuck, Jackson,” she cried out and clutched the phone against her ear.

  “That’s it, baby, come for me. Comethinking of my fingers playing with your piercings. Thinking of soaking my hand.”

  She felt herself explode into a million pieces. Fireworks dancing behind her eyes. She leaned back against the wall, breathing heavy. She never came that easily when she touched herself. She frowned. One night under his control and she was already coming on his command. “Damn it, Jackson,” she swore into the phone.

  “Your body knows what it needs,” he assured her. “It’s okay.”

  “No, this is not okay,” she argued back, not waiting for him to laugh at her. Not waiting for him to gloat that she needed him. She disconnected the call and slammed down the phone.

  She barely had time to zip up and wash her hands before she was letting Benjamin in to look around the house. She tried hard not to think about what she had just done. Not to blush when he looked at her with those dark, penetrating eyes as he gave her the good news and the bad news about wha
t he found with the house. How was she supposed to think about home repairs after what she’d just done with Jack? She tried to focus.

  It came as no surprise that the biggest issue was the roof. Followed by the poor plumbing. “Everything else is cosmetic,” he told her. “These houses were all built around the same time, but you’re lucky that this one has upgraded electrical already. And most of the windows were recently done.”

  “I had them done a few years back.” Not that she had ever told Logan about it. She had used the rental money from the place to pay a handyman to keep up the house and to indulge in a few projects over the years.

  “It shouldn’t take too long to have this place looking like it did when Mrs. Foster lived here.”

  “You knew my aunt?” She looked at him carefully, wondering if she should remember him.

  “I grew up on the next road.”

  “You’re Gina’s older brother.” She suddenlyremembered him. Gina was always talking about her big brother. “Benji.”

  He blushed. “No one calls me Benji anymore, thank god.”

  “I’m sorry.” She laughed.

  He shrugged off her apology. “You moved in with your aunt in what, grade eleven? You wentto school with Gina, didn’t you?”

  “She was one of my best friends.” She remembered. “I haven’t thought about her in years. She went off to school and I got married, and we sort of lost touch.”

  “She got married too, and divorced. She and her daughter live two towns over. St. George. She runs a little B&B. She would love if you gave her a call sometime. I know she’s heard about your yoga studio and has mentioned wanting to give it a try.” He scribbled down the number for her.

  She thanked him and asked him a few more questions about his family and his grandmother Mama Rosa before they returned their attention back to her place.

  By the end of the consult she was feeling more confident that with a little planning, she would be able to make the required fixes before the walls came crumbling down.

  She walked him to the door, and his hand caught hers once again in what was a polite handshake. Or it would have been if Cait hadn’t been aware of his thumb brushing against her fingers, a knowing gleam in his eyes. It was probably her imagination, but she still planned to kick Jackson next time she saw him.